Gordon Wateridge outside Jersey’s Royal Court. (0826988)

FORMER children’s home worker Gordon Wateridge was yesterday found guilty of eight counts of indecently assaulting three young girls.

The offences were committed while he was a house parent at Haut de la Garenne in Jersey in the early 1970s. The victims were teenagers at the time.

The 78-year-old, nicknamed ‘the Perv’ by children, was granted bail but was told by trial judge Sir Christopher Pitchers that he had been convicted of serious offences and was likely to go to prison because of the breach of trust.

The indecent assault convictions related to him touching girls over their clothing. He was also convicted of assaulting a boy by pulling his hair and pushing him to the ground.

But the jury cleared him of 12 other charges. He was found not guilty of the more serious offences of touching one former resident under her clothing, not guilty of touching another over her clothing and not guilty of giving that girl a love bite. He was also cleared of inciting boys to put their hands inside the clothing of the same girl.

The jury spent nine hours deliberating. None of the verdicts were unanimous and it took 35 minutes for them to be delivered in the Royal Court.

Bail was renewed on condition that Wateridge surrendered his passport, remained at an agreed address, did not approach witnesses and did not leave the island.